Excellence In All Its Forms
by K.L. Winthrope
Summary: After an accident in the Potions lab, Severus gets turned back into an 18 year-old with no recollection of his former life. He meets Hermione and the two form a strange friendship that slowly starts to turn into the most passionate affair of their lives.
1. Introduction

"Is he going to be all right?" Madam Pomfrey whispered concernedly to Albus Dumbledore. The nurse and headmaster stood in the hospital wing of Hogwarts watching a boy of about eighteen as he slept. The boy had a hooked nose and strands of long, greasy hair fell across his face.

Dumbledore was silent for a moment before he answered. "Yes Poppy, I think that this might be just what he needs. A chance to change his life path, to have another chance, one without the terror of serving Voldemort. I have examined him and there is a possibility that he will not remember what has happened. I must ask that you not remind him of it. For his own safety and peace of mind I have replaced his damaged memories with new ones.

"So what is the life you created for him?" Poppy asked.

I made him think that he recently lost his parents, and thus had to live with his closest relative, also named Severus Snape. I was very careful to make him think he was home schooled, so that there would be no awkward questions. We shall say that Severus has disappeared, leaving his young nephew in our care. He can stay at Hogwarts for this year and then begin a new life of his choosing."

Madam Pomfrey gasped, "oh Albus! I knew that he is physically a boy again, but mentally? What will the Order do without him? And who will teach Potions?"

Dumbledore looked grave. "I will figure that out soon enough, Poppy. Right now let the poor boy rest and alert me the moment he wakes up."

Madam Pomfrey nodded, and she drew the curtains around the boy's bed as Dumbledore left, closing the door behind him.

Severus woke up the next day to see a man with a long white beard and a pair of half-moon glasses examining him carefully. He tried to place his surroundings and couldn't, so he switched his attentions to the man, who looked vaguely familiar.

"Hello Severus," the man said carefully. "Do you remember me?"

Severus shook his head. "no sir," he replied.

"What do you remember?" he asked.

"I remember my uncle shouting for me to get away, and then an explosion. After that everything went black."

"Ah," Dumbledore said.

"Sir, where is my uncle? And where am I?"

Dumbledore looked solemn, "Your uncle is dead, Severus. You are now at Hogwarts where he worked."

"Hogwarts," Severus murmured. "So he left me to live here, then?"

"Yes, your uncle trusted me to take car of you," he replied. "I am the Headmaster here, Albus Dumbledore."

At the mention of the name something flickered in the back of Severus' mind, but it was gone almost as soon as it had come.

"So Professor Dumbledore, what am I to do now?"

"I had thought that you could continue your education here at Hogwarts. I understand that you are a very gifted wizard, one that would benefit greatly from a proper magical education and training."

"I did just fine on my own." Severus scowled resentfully.

"I was not implying anything less," Dumbledore said smoothly. "It's just that if you graduate from Hogwarts, get a degree and your NEWTs you will have many more career opportunities. I understand from your uncle that have inherited his gift at Potions?" Severus remained silent and he continued, "I will arrange to have you complete some independent research in the subject and then maybe I can see about getting you an apprenticeship."

At the word 'apprenticeship' Severus' eyes glowed and Dumbledore suppressed a chuckle. This truly was the same Severus.

"Well I will let you rest and perhaps later you can explore the castle," Dumbledore said as he turned to leave. Right before he reached the door, the question Severus had been holding in for so long came bursting out.

"But Professor, why do this to me, why help me like this?"

"As I mentioned before, your uncle left you in my care. However, I must also say that you are a particularly promising individual Severus, and I am not simply referring to your academic capabilities."

Then Dumbledore closed the door and left Severus alone to ponder what exactly he meant.


	2. Chapter One

Hermione made her way down to the hospital wing just as she had done for the past two weeks. After her parents had died in a fire in April, she had worried about what to do for the summer holiday. She couldn't go back home, where her parents and house had been destroyed; and she had no family left.

The Weasleys had been forced to abandon the Burrow and go into hiding. They had moved into a cramped, two-bedroom apartment, and while they had offered to let her stay with them, she knew that she would just be in the way. Also, she wasn't too keen on spending an entire summer with Ron whom she had just ended a rather painful year-long relationship with.

So she had approached Dumbledore who had arranged for her to have a summer internship with Madam Pomfrey. During the summer Madam Pomfrey often went to assist Hogsmeade residents with their ailments or childbirths, or to answer emergency floos from St. Mungo's when they were particularly busy. During these times she would leave Hermione alone in the hospital wing to make dozens of various medicinal potions to be used during the school year.

Today Hermione walked into the hospital wing and after a quick look around to see if Madam Pomfrey was in (she wasn't) Hermione gathered her supplies and began work on a dreamless sleep potion, singing while she worked.

Suddenly, an irritated noise came from one of the beds to her left. Hermione gasped, she hadn't noticed anyone in the room when she'd first walked in.

"Would you please stop making that infernal racket, _some_ people are trying to _sleep_!"

Hermione gaped at the boy in the bed. "I...I'm sorry, I didn't know anyone was here, I was just starting a new batch of dreamless sleep and..."

"You're making it wrong," the boy said sulkily. "the potion will be much more effective if you ground the root instead of chopping it".

Hermione continued to stare at him, he reminded her so much of someone, who was it?

"Close your mouth, and stop gawking at me, you look like a fool," the boy said.

"I'm sorry you don't approve of me," Hermione said peevishly, "but I will be working here all summer, so as long as you're staying here you'll be stuck with me."

"I never said I didn't approve of you," said the boy, "I said you were gawking. They're two different things." He took a deep breath, "I haven't seen enough of you to form an opinion," he said seriously. "Though the singing does count against you," he said as an afterthought.

Hermione blinked and then asked, "who are you?"

"I," said the boy, "am Severus Snape."

Hermione was so startled she knocked her cauldron off the table. "Oh sweet Merlin!" she exclaimed. "What happened to you, Professor?"

Severus rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm not _that _Severus Snape, you idiot, I'm his nephew."

"Oh," said Hermione, somewhat relieved. "Well what happened to you? Do you need me to get your Uncle? Does he know you're here?"

"My uncle is dead. It was a potions accident," Severus said shortly.

"Oh! Oh dear. I think I need to sit down," Hermione said weakly.

In a surprisingly kind gesture, Severus stood up and led her over to his bed to sit down.

They sat there a few minutes in silence, and when she finally looked up, Severus was surprised to see that her eyes were overly bright.

"I'm sorry I didn't properly introduce myself," she said, extending a hand. "I'm Hermione Granger, Madam Pomfrey's summer assistant. I'll be a seventh year once term starts."

Severus looked at her for a moment and then took her hand. "Severus Snape, also a seventh year next term," he said.

"Severus, would you like to get some lunch?" she asked. "You're well enough to walk, aren't you?"

"Yes," Severus said, surprised. "I think I was only in here to make sure that I didn't suffer any damages from the potions accident. I was in the lab with my uncle, you see."

"Oh, do you like Potions too?" Hermione asked, trying not to think about her recently deceased professor.

Severus gave her a critical look. "Yes, I enjoy the subject. Why? Do you?"

"I enjoy every subject" Hermione said frankly. "But Potions is-well, was, the best because Professor Snape always made me work for my grade. It didn't come effortlessly like my other classes, he made me think. He might not have been the kindest professor, but in a strange way I think he was the best."

Severus looked at her appraisingly. Maybe she wouldn't be so bad after all, he thought, as they made their way down to the Great Hall together.


End file.
